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School Choice and Higher Education Attainment

Author

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  • Alessandrini, Diana

    (St. Francis Xavier University)

  • Milla, Joniada

    (Saint Mary’s University)

Abstract

We analyze how school vouchers affect post-secondary attainment by exploiting the universal voucher program implemented in Chile in 1981. The program allowed students to choose which primary and secondary schools to attend. The government covered tuition independently of whether the chosen school was private or public. We find that vouchers increased the probability of attending PSE by 2-4 percentage points and the probability of PSE graduation by 1-3 percentage points. Students from low socio economic backgrounds benefited the most. Further, we study whether the impacts of vouchers depend on when school choice becomes available in a student’s educational path. We find that the impacts of vouchers on PSE outcomes are maximized if vouchers are introduced before students start middle school.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandrini, Diana & Milla, Joniada, 2022. "School Choice and Higher Education Attainment," IZA Discussion Papers 15330, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15330
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    vouchers; school choice; higher education attendance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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